1 Samuel 1:7

1:7 Peninnah ¹  would behave this way year after year. Whenever Hannah ²  went up to the Lord’s house, Peninnah ³  would upset her so that she would weep and refuse to eat.

1 Samuel 2:35

2:35 Then I will raise up for myself a faithful priest. He will do what is in my heart and soul. I will build for him a secure dynasty ⁴  and he will serve my chosen one for all time. ⁵ 

1 Samuel 3:18

3:18 So Samuel told him everything. He did not hold back anything from him. Eli ⁶  said, “The Lord will do what he pleases.” ⁷ 

1 Samuel 25:22

25:22 God will severely punish David, ⁸  if I leave alive until morning even one male ⁹  from all those who belong to him!”

1 Samuel 25:30

25:30 The Lord will do for my lord everything that he promised you, ¹⁰  and he will make ¹¹  you a leader over Israel.

[1:7]  ¹ tn The MT has a masculine form of the verb here יַעֲשֶׂה (ya’aseh, “he used to do”); the subject in that case would presumably be Elkanah. But this leads to an abrupt change of subject in the following part of the verse, where the subject is the rival wife who caused Hannah anxiety. In light of v. 6 one expects the statement of v. 7 to refer to the ongoing actions of the rival wife: “she used to behave in this way year after year.” Some scholars have proposed retaining the masculine form but changing the vocalization of the verb so as to read a Niphal rather than a Qal (i.e., יֵעֲשֶׂה, ye’aseh, “so it used to be done”). But the problem here is lack of precedent for such a use of the Niphal of this verb. It seems best in light of the context to understand the reference to be to Hannah’s rival Peninnah and to read here, with the Syriac Peshitta, a feminine form of the verb (“she used to do”). In the translation the referent (Peninnah) has been specified for clarity.

[1:7]  ² tn Heb “she”; the referent (Hannah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:7]  ³ tn Heb “she”; the referent (Peninnah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[2:35]  ⁴ tn Heb “house.”

[2:35]  ⁵ tn Heb “and he will walk about before my anointed one all the days.”

[3:18]  ⁷ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Eli) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[3:18]  ⁸ tn Heb “what is good in his eyes.”

[25:22]  ¹⁰ tc Heb “Thus God will do to the enemies of David and thus he will add.” Most of the Old Greek ms tradition has simply “David,” with no reference to his enemies. In OT imprecations such as the one found in v. 22 it is common for the speaker to direct malediction toward himself as an indication of the seriousness with which he regards the matter at hand. In other words, the speaker invites on himself dire consequences if he fails to fulfill the matter expressed in the oath. However, in the situation alluded to in v. 22 the threat actually does not come to fruition due to the effectiveness of Abigail’s appeal to David in behalf of her husband Nabal. Instead, David is placated through Abigail’s intervention. It therefore seems likely that the reference to “the enemies of David” in the MT of v. 22 is the result of a scribal attempt to deliver David from the implied consequences of this oath. The present translation follows the LXX rather than the MT here.

[25:22]  ¹¹ tn Heb “one who urinates against a wall” (also in v. 34); KJV “any that pisseth against the wall.”

[25:30]  ¹³ tn Heb “according to all which he spoke, the good concerning you.”

[25:30]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “appoint.”